


Raised

by RedheadShenanigans



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angels, Angels fighting demons, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Broken Dean Winchester, Caring John Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural) in Hell, Castiel Meets John Winchester, Castiel Saves Dean Winchester From Hell, Castiel vessel origin story, Dean Winchester in Hell, Dean in Hell, DeanCas - Freeform, Demons, Destiel - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Pain, Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Hell, Hurt Dean Winchester, M/M, Otherworld, POV Castiel, Protective John Winchester, Raised You From Perdition, Saved From Hell, Season/Series 04, Some violent imagery, Soulmates, Souls, Supernatural - Freeform, castiel searching for dean, dean Winchester raised by Castiel, destiel origin story, what happened in hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 05:11:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15187526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedheadShenanigans/pseuds/RedheadShenanigans
Summary: Castiel is fighting to get to Dean Winchester, he has been ordered by God. Nothing will stop him but Hell is vast and desolate and he is running out of time. Then a voice calls to him, someone who knows the way, someone who knows Dean very well…Can Castiel save Dean? Will he want to be saved?





	Raised

The angels had been fighting for days, the demons kept coming, it was relentless. Castiel was leading the charge, injured and exhausted. The surprise attack should have neutralized this, however, they had underestimated the protection the target had. Dean Winchester was a prize and Hell was unwilling to relinquish him. Failure was not an option and Cas kept pushing his people. It was a sustained barrage of blood and pain but they were close now, so close and they had to keep going. Their numbers had halved since they had entered Hell and if they didn’t get Dean soon Castiel knew they would have to withdraw.

Again, this was not an option. Castiel wasn’t the most impressive of angels, not the biggest or strongest but he was a loyal soldier and when tasked with something important he was focused, determined. He had been tasked with raising Dean Winchester’s soul from Hell and he would succeed.

The next day Urial got word of an opening in the rear flank, that was his cue. Castiel broke from his brethren and hurtled through it. The demon Alastair had Dean in the cells so Cas made his way there at light speed. Once he was past the main defences he slowed down and looked harder.

Travelling through the filth and fire he wished for a vessel, something to keep all the muck from his light but the thought was fleeting, he knew this was the only way. A vessel would only slow him down. Spiralling through the torture chambers looking for one soul was like finding a needle in a needle stack and Cas was running out of time.

Enough passed to make the angel nervous, he was alone in the bowels of the most hostile place ever created with no kin at his back. Turning the last corner in this series of dungeons, if they could be called that, Cas heard someone calling. It was faint at first, but a soul was calling his name, he almost ignored the plea, almost. It was such a strange thing that he allowed himself to be distracted but he eventually followed it to a small dark cell.

The room was like most things in hell, flexible depending on the mind it housed and this mind was human. Cas toned down his light but knew the soul wouldn’t be harmed by him no matter how bright. The human was ragged and broken. Castiel wanted the man to remain calm and allowed the human's mind to take his light and shape it into a form that he could understand. The mirage that he became was stocky, yet slim with dark hair. Castiel admired the human’s choice for a moment, it was interesting. The long coat he wore swung as he moved. The projection was detailed which was surprising considering the state of the soul.

“Who are you?” The human shuffled back, terrified.

Castiel paused letting the man adjust and reached out with his light to take the edge from his suffering. This soul wasn’t supposed to be here, he knew that and it hurt him.

“You called me, human.” Castiel said gently, “You knew my name.”  
"I didn't..." The human stopped, taking a long look at the angel.

“You’re that guy, the one at the diner in Jefferson City.” He paused, rising from the wall. “We drank coffee and talked about our kids…Claire, I think you said?”

Castiel moved closer to the man, “What is your name?”

“John, John Winchester.”

Castiel took a step back.

“You are Dean Winchester’s father?”

“Yes, how did you…” John baulked, “You're not that Sales guy from the radio are you?”

Cas looked at the image he was holding, “No, this is an image from your mind. I assume you liked this man or found him...non-threatening?”

John took a second and nodded, “He was a little too focused on Jesus for me but you talk to whoever you can on the road. He’d been for some conference or something…”

“It is irrelevant. My name is Castiel, I am an Angel of the Lord and I am here to remove your son Dean from this place.”

“Dean’s here?” John cursed, sorrow filling his voice. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“John, I am running out of time.”

Winchester senior looked at the angel.

“Alistar has him doesn’t he?” Pain tore at his features.

“Do you know where he would take him?”

As the thought came Cas knew he could see the place as John did, he could see it written all over the soul before him.

“I must go.” With that, he turned to leave but John grabbed his shoulder.

“Please, please find my son and if you get him back home…take care of him…and Sammy”

All the angels knew of Samuel Winchester and he couldn’t promise the father too much. The future of the Winchester men was going to be long and hard, however, he could promise one thing.

“I will watch over Dean on earth and do my best for them both.”

“Thank you, Castiel was it?”

He nodded.

“You remind me of him.” John added, and Cas looked confused, “Novack, that was his name…the guy you’re wearing. Good guy.”

“I am sorry, you do not deserve to be here but…”

“I made my bed, angel. Go get my boy.”

On that note Castiel fled, moving like the wind through the fiery tunnels towards the rack room. Castiel shuddered, he hated torture and dread filled him at what he may find on his quest.

Spaces were strange here, nothing moved like it did in reality. The rack room was endless and finite, it made no sense but nothing here really did.

On entering Castiel was taken back, Dean Winchester was pushing steel, no they were bone pins into a soul. It was a ragged, broken mess strapped to a table. Castiel recoiled as Dean stabbed the soul with stripped parts of itself and worse he looked exalted with every thrust. This was the soul he’d been sent to save? This broken, hateful damaged thing? Unsure he called its name and the human turned. Castiel pulled on the previous image he’d taken, the father had liked it so maybe the son would as well?

“Who? What are you?” Dean growled out.

“I am Castiel an Angel of the Lord and I am here to return you to earth.”

The soul did something completely unexpected and turned back to its task. Most wanted to be saved but this one, this one felt he deserved to be here; radiated it.

It was irrelevant of course, what the soul chose because Dean Winchester must be raised, God had commanded it.

“Dean, you must come now or I will have to force you and that will be…painful.” Cas knew it was an understatement, it would feel like being torn in two. Dean had to want to be saved and Castiel didn’t have time to pander to him, but maybe he could convince him?

“Your father seems to think you deserved to be redeemed.”

“Don’t you talk about him,” Dean growled and the noise was an irritation to Castiel, almost painful.

“I spoke to him only moments ago and he asked me to raise you, certain that you shouldn’t be here. His soul felt of nothing but love and reverence for his son’s, for you…he wished for you to return to Samuel.”

“Sammy…” Dean blinked back tears, "...he doesn't like Samuel." Castiel dared to hope. Dean was showing an emotion other than self-loathing.

Castiel acted swiftly and touched the damaged man, shudders and nausea rolled through him and he questioned the wisdom of putting something this broken back on earth; it wouldn’t last long in its current condition. It could become a Demon, or worse and that wasn't acceptable.

Tears slid down the soul’s face and it crashed to its knees. The pure touch of Castiel’s light shredded away the awful cloud of pain and hate for just a moment but it was enough for the angel to get a grip on him.

Soul’s appeared as light and shadow to Cas, like a human shape but with no details. This soul projected it’s human vessel so clearly that Castiel had to squint to see through the mirage. The soul was more dark than light but the shadows looked recent, corrupted here in hell, not on earth. Cas was now positive he had the right soul, but the seal had surely been broken. Regardless, God had willed it raised and he would do as commanded.

The angel knew it couldn’t return this Winchester to earth in this condition.

“Dean, I need to undo some of what has been done.”

The man looked up with large eyes as tears fell into the murky ground.

As Castiel considered whether it could even be done it hit him like a wall of knowledge and he knew in that instant it could. Amazed, he didn't know how as it was not an angels power but he just knew that now he had the ability that he needed. “I have to repair some of your soul, we don’t have much time and so… it will hurt.” As he warned Dean he knew that

Dean nodded, and the angel moved, grasping the left shoulder with his hand. Dean screamed as Cas’s light invaded him searing an imprint into the man’s atoms. Castiel screamed as he tore parts of himself away to fix the broken soul. The angel poured through the dark spaces and filled them out with light. No-one could know what Castiel was doing, if Dean ever fulfilled his role as Michael’s sword... the human would have more power than he should and Michael may realise. Castiel felt the shudder through his whole being, he could be cast out or worse. The light would fade but from here onwards, Dean Winchester would be part of him and Castiel would feel Dean throughout his human life. They were bound. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make. Little did he know how much of the human soul he was exposing himself too and as he bound Dean back together he bound himself to this fragile soul forever.

Once he was done, Cas raised Dean from that unholy place and forced him back into his vessel. The scars from the cleansing left a physical mark on the man's arm, a symbol that echoed its eternal counterpart on Dean's soul. Even if the mark was removed from his skin, the tissue would remember, the soul would still be marked.

The body required healing and he added some walls to the humans’ psyche, protecting him from his memories and the emotions until he could manage them. Dean wouldn’t remember him. The trauma from the rising would be too much but he would always seek him now, be drawn to him. It would fade as long as Cas kept his distance and he would, he promised himself. However, he would also keep his promise to the older Winchester and watch over Dean, from now until time ended, Dean Winchester would have an angel watching over him.

**Author's Note:**

> Ties into my Otherworld fic, coming soon. 
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/redheadshenanigans


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